John Pope Quintet + Dilettante + Yotuns (NFOJAiM)

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music x Mercury prize Fringe 2025

Presented by Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music, New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings and Jazz North East in partnership with Generator. 

John Pope Quintet
Dilettante
Yotuns

Gosforth Civic Theatre
Friday 10th October 2025
Doors: 7.30pm (Music Starts 8.00pm)
Free Entry (Donations Welcome)

John Pope Quintet

John Pope (Double Bass / Percussion) 
Jamie Stockbridge (Alto / Baritone Saxophones) 
Faye MacCalman (Tenor Saxophone / Clarinet) 
Graham Hardy (Trumpet / Flugelhorn) 
Johnny Hunter (Drum Kit / Glockenspiel) 

John Pope is an improviser and composer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. He plays the double bass, bass guitar, musical saw and occasionally dictaphone. An artist with a diverse and expansive creative practice, John funnels a lifelong engagement with jazz, funk, rock music, pop-culture and mysticism through the cracked vessel of the free improviser. 

As well as being one third of garage-jazz trio Archipelago, he has performed and collaborated with artists including Roger Turner, Mick Beck, Rhodri Davies, Greg Spero, Field Music, Anton Hunter, Chris Biscoe, Joe McPhee, Laura Cole and many others.

To date the John Pope Quintet have released two albums ‘Mixed with Glass’ and ‘Citrinitas’ on the region’s New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings label, established in 2020 by Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music. For the Mercury Music Prize he will perform work from those recordings alongside new material that is being honed for his soon to be recorded third album. 

Dilettante (Solo Performance) 

Francesca Pidgeon (Vocals / Guitar / Saxophone / Keys / Percussion / Looper) 

Dilettante is the brain-child of multi-instrumentalist and former BC Camplight member Francesca Pidgeon. Live shows are a genre-phobic loop-fest, featuring everything from fuzzy guitar licks to 5-part saxophone harmonies. Whilst Dilettante frequently performs as a full five piece band, Francesca’s compositions equally lend themselves to intimate solo performances. 

Dilettante’s debut album 'Tantrum’ was released in 2022 and followed up with ‘Life of the Party’ in 2025. She was recently granted the prestigious Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists.

It’s a delight to welcome Dilettante to perform as part of this exceptional triple bill for the Mercury Music Prize fringe in collaboration with Generator North East. 

Yotuns

Sally Pilkington (Keys)
Christian Alderson (Drums and Percussion)

Opening the concert is the new collaboration Yotuns.

“Flowing keys and percussion sounds in absorbing and meandering conversations”

The keys/voice and drums/percussion duo of Sally Pilkington (Bulbils/Hen Ogledd) and Christian Alderson (Archipelago/The Unit Ama),Yotuns mix expansive, freewheeling improvisation and pared back, minimalist repetition. For fans of forgotten 80’s VHS soundtracks and music from drowned, abandoned churches. 



Gosforth Civic Theatre
Regent Farm Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3HD
0191 284 3700 / info@gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk
www.gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk


Age Restrictions | Accessibility | Travel

Gosforth Civic Theatre

Age Restrictions: Please contact the venue for age restrictions.

Accessibility: Gosforth Civic Theatre is a fully accessible building.

Travel: Regent Centre Metro and Bus Station is Just across the road. 
There is limited parking at the venue. 


This event is presented as the Mercury Music Fringe in Partnership with Generator as part of Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music 2025

TICKETS FOR ALL NFOJAiM 2025 EVENTS ARE AVAILABLE HERE
https://www.seetickets.com/tour/jazz-north-east


DOWNLOAD THE NFOJAiM 2025 DIGITAL PROGRAMME AND SCHEDULE BY CLICKING HERE
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WU2x96X7OF9IiuhdLJQjF3LDoajDG2YY/view?usp=sharing


INDIVIDUAL NFOJAiM 2025 EVENTS ARE LISTED THROUGH OUR FACEBOOK EVENTS PAGES
www.facebook.com/newcastlefestivalofjazzandimprovisedmusic


DONATIONS FOR NFOJAiM 2025 CAN STILL BE RECEIVED THROUGH OUR ‘ALWAYS OPEN’ NEW JAZZ AND IMPROVISED MUSIC CROWDFUNDER BY CLICKING HERE 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/new-jazz-and-improvised-music-recordings